


The Wolf King's Tale

by Nighthaunting



Category: Warhammer - All Media Types, Warhammer 40.000
Genre: Backstory, Gen, headcanons, sort of mythic saga styled, super generalized, the headcanon russ back story i made up a long time ago
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-22
Updated: 2017-02-22
Packaged: 2018-09-26 08:28:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 948
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9876512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nighthaunting/pseuds/Nighthaunting
Summary: An 'origin' of Russ done in a sort of traditional mythic style. Heavily headcanon-compliant.





	

**Author's Note:**

> the foundational headcanons for this are basically: 1) russ was a wolf and now he's a man. 2) it makes more sense to me to headcanon a magic russ who did some dubious and harmful things with his power before realizing the inherent potential for misuse in magic and gave up doing magic, than to accept a russ who flat-out hates magic for vaguely defined reasons.

When the Emperor came to Fenris, it had already been many great years since the Wolf King had turned away from working the dark threads of curses and settled down to live respectably. By the time the Emperor came to Fenris those old days were not much spoken of, least of all by the king himself. They were remembered, though, by the older gothi and the matrons who still called the king ‘little brother’ and those men of the aett who had been sworn to King Thengir.  
  
When the wolf child was taken in by the aett, it was said to be pity that stayed the old king’s hand from sending it on to the Underverse like its pack. There were some who didn’t believe the child would survive, even as Thengir carried it himself to the hold and trusted it into the care and nursing of the women there. The wolf child lived, though, and grew.  
  
At first it was not widely commented upon, since the aett of the high king often fostered children, but the wolf child grew too quickly, and did not understand the proper ways of the aett. The mothers and grandmothers that he attended to said the wolf child grieved, and while there was suspicion of him, Thengir would not cast him out as some urged.

The child came to be called 'Leman’, as his name was unknown and he would not give an answer of one when he was asked. There was concern, as time went on, that Leman was too much in the influence of the women in the underhold. Whispers through the aett said that he practiced their magic, and knew some skills that were supposed to be secrets of the gothi. This was not all there was, though, because complaints came to the king that Leman had laid curses upon them, and tangled their threads with misfortune.  
  
The chiefest of the gothi of the Russ advised the king that this was true, for the wolf child had come to them obviously through wyrd–as he and the king both had been there when Leman had been thought only a wolf pup, and they had found him a living child only when they had skinned a wolf’s pelt from him and seen the long wound that matched the one they’d cut bleeding–and all those touched by the wyrd could feel it strongly in Leman. King Thengir was wise, and understood that Leman had been taken from his own aett of wolves and brought to the aett of the Russ without the knowledge of their ways that young children were taught.

King Thengir, also, had a trouble of his own, for his wife had borne him no children, and he was beginning to show his age. There were many jarls of other aetts who offered their own second sons for adoption by Thengir, in hopes that they would succeed him as high king and in turn favor the clan of their birth. The king could not choose one of these, because he knew that the other clans would refuse to honor the succession, and would bring the dispute in blood. The chief gothi was a close friend of the king’s, and had advised him truthfully for many years, so when the king spoke to him about what should be done with Leman, they together conceived of an idea to solve all of these ills. Had not Thengir been remiss in ensuring Leman’s adoption into the aett? Was not Leman’s willingness to work curses and charms for those who asked because he had no interest in the well being of the aett? Could not Thengir adopt Leman and make of him an heir, free from the obligations of any aett but the Russ, and in so doing teach him the proper way of things and ensure his tutoring in respect for the wyrd?

The king and his gothi agreed that it was so, and Leman was sent for from the underhold. While Leman did not feel attached to the Russ as an aett, he did feel respect for Thengir as the leader of the pack of humans that had slain his own pack and so he did not protest Thengir’s adoption of him, although he did not fully understand the reasons for his adoption at this time. 

Leman learned slowly the ways of the aett, but quickly mastered the wyrd as it  was taught to him. Thengir was pleased because Leman had repented his earlier actions against the aett and spoken to him of his regrets now that he understood his misuse of the wyrd. Just as often Thengir spoke to his adoptive son about the workings of the aett, and sought to bridge in his mind the idea of the care of the aett being as care for the pack.  
  
It was in the first spring of that great year that Thengir announced to the gathered jarls at the althing he had indeed adopted a son as his heir. Many had been expecting this but were surprised by Thengir’s choice. Out of respect for the high king it was generally accepted, but some spoke amongst themselves that not all was well in the aett of the Russ, if Thengir would choose a foundling as his heir. Some others, in quieter voices yet, spoke of how it was known Leman was a wyrd and had come to the Russ from the wilds, fostered by wolves. 

Through this, though, Leman grew in brotherhood with the men of the aett, and still paid mind to those women who he called his sister for their care for him. So becoming respected among the clans.


End file.
